My senior year of college, my greatest aspiration was to head to the nations and become the Indiana Jones of missions. I wanted adventure and to see God move, being a part of what He was doing throughout the world. With great faith, I pursued a missions opportunity in the Middle East.

My family was not so keen on this idea, though they love Jesus greatly. They also love me greatly and desired for me to stay safe. Everything in me was burning to go. The hearts of my family were desperate for me to stay.

Over the course of several months, I laid down my desire to journey to the nations and instead honored the desires of my family.

Dying to myself in that season looked like me crying in the fetal position on my dorm room floor. A lot. Dying hurts.

But our God is so faithful. My journey of honoring my family led me to a little town which held my family's history. I ventured down to Cairo, Illinois to do missions there.

And that's where I came alive. I met Jesus in such a profound way in that rinky dink little town. My love for Him exploded and my relationship with Him grew deeper and sweeter. I can't put a price tag on what God did in my heart in that season. And all of it began by dying.

What I'm learning time and time again in my journey is that God really is for me, and if He leads me to lay something down - even if it looks so good, what He has for me is better.

It is the nature and character of God to bring life from death. So if you find yourself in a season of dying, be encouraged that the heart and purpose of God is that you would live- abundantly, and you can trust our faithful God is up to something.